TF-CBT, PCIT & CPP

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Some of the therapy programs employed by the Child Study Center, which treats patients from all over Arkansas, include trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and parent-child interaction therapy. TF-CBT is one of the most effective interventions developed to treat trauma. It has been shown to be an effective treatment for children ages 3 to 17 years old, teaching children and adolescents as well as other family members about the emotional and physical effects of trauma and coping skills to reduce its negative effects. This treatment can be used with children and adolescents who have experienced a single trauma or multiple traumas in their life. Children or adolescents experiencing traumatic grief can also benefit from TF-CBT.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) is an innovative treatment shown to help children whose behavior is disruptive or impulsive enough to cause serious problems at home and at school. PCIT is specifically designed for children whose problematic behaviors – defiance, inability to follow directions, aggression – fall outside the range of what’s typical for their age. By restructuring interactions between parents and child, it reduces disruptive behavior and improves the child’s relationship with his family. Parents learn specific skills to increase positive attention to behavior they want to encourage, and specific disciplinary techniques to respond to undesired behaviors.

Child-Parent Psychotherapy

The Child Study Center also employs child-parent psychotherapy (CPP). CPP is an intervention for children from birth through age 5 who have experienced at least one traumatic event, such as maltreatment, the sudden or traumatic death of someone close, a serious accident, sexual abuse, exposure to domestic violence, and, as a result, are experiencing behavior, attachment or mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The primary goal of CPP is to support and strengthen the relationship between a child and his or her parent or caregiver as a vehicle for restoring the child’s sense of safety, attachment, and appropriate affect and improving the child’s cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning.